Beyond the Shards
by Minako Kurosu
Summary: In this fic, Wedy was actually a child at Wammy's, and had sworn to protect L. This is about her dealing with his death, and the memories it brings to surface.
1. Broken Promise

**I've had the concept of this for a while, but originally it would have involved creating my own character. Even in any other situation, I'd be reluctant to do this because for the most part, I believe every story has "x amount" of characters for a reason and I don't want to disrupt that balance. But Death Note in particular (one of my absolute favorite anime/manga) is something I would ****never**** intrude on, so I've kept the concept locked away. However, I recently discovered a loophole. In this fic, Wedy (real name Merrie Kenwood) was involved with Wammy's House, and namely, L, since she was a young girl. I am being VERY cautious with this fic, and it might end up a total failure, but I would LOVE to hear your opinions. PLEASE REVIEW 333 Disclaimer: I don't own this story. All praise and proceeds and such obviously go to its wonderful creator Tsugumi Ohba.**

It had been ages since she had last seen such a gloomy day.

The rain lashed against the metal and glass walls of the building in furious torments, and the wind howled out a mournful dirge, threatening to dampen all spirits and weather away the resolve of humanity and justice. It was the sort of weather that made a day drag on forever.

The sort of weather that always seemed to foreshadow an ominous threat of despair and bad fortune.

Wedy stood by the large window, dispersing the aura of gloom she had clad herself in by lighting a cigarette and clouding her persistent worries with a breath of smoke.

_I'm not superstitious. This kind of stuff doesn't phase me._

She exhaled, fogging up the window with a mixture of smoke and carbon dioxide. Tendrils of her breath, made visible by her admittedly bad habit, drifted through the air with her concentration. She couldn't place her finger on it. What was _wrong_ with today? There was definitely something bothering her, and it wasn't that damned Shinigami; it would take more than a demon of death to frighten her.

I'm not afraid of anything!

She clenched her teeth against the cigarette in her mouth, and realized to her shock that she was trembling; ash dusted through the air, dislodged from the tip of its quivering, burning stick.

The wind continued to wail, like a widow at a funeral.

A funeral…

Would the unveiling of the god of death bring misfortune and death on their small team now that its presence had been revealed? Perhaps it _was_ the monster that was bothering her.

_Well stop worrying about it. The shinigami never made one hostile move against us; if it had wanted to support Kira, I'm pretty sure none of us would still be alive to pursue the matter. Besides, L said he was one step away from solving this cursed case…_

_**L.**_

At that instant, lightning and thunder collided in one heart-stopping burst of sheer power, clarifying every subconscious doubt, thought, and fear.

_He's in danger._

That thought sent her body flying into action. Years of training and devotion to the one unchanging cause she had allowed to remain in her otherwise scattered, ratpatch life of burglary and espionage coursed through her veins alongside the adrenaline; pure instinct was the force that sent her hurtling down the halls at an almost inhuman speed. Watari was closest. She had to tell him to warn L. The Shinigami _must not_ see his face!

It never occurred to her that she was too late. That was an impossibility, because if there was one life that could never end, one being that could never cease to exist while she herself still drew breath…

The shinigami loomed in the doorway to the main computer room. This was Watari's abode, where he managed all of L's requests, kept an eye on the goings on around the base, and made sure everything ran smoothly. What use could the shinigami…?

"Watari!"

In the eerily lit room bathed in the red glow of every computer reporting a sudden deletion of all data, the old man's motionless body looked unfamiliar. The entire scene was so unreal…Watari…

Dead. She could tell by the mere fact he wasn't exerting every effort in his aged body to reach L and warn him of the shinigami's loathsome intents.

_Now is not the time to mourn. _

That monster's next target could be none other than L.

Once again she was running, but she could barely notice how fast she was going. Her lungs didn't burn, her legs didn't protest against such sudden movement. She neither slowed nor gasped for breath. She had one goal, one purpose pounding through her mind and body, and she could not fail. She couldn't be late. Her timing, which had always promoted her title as one of the most skilled thieves and accomplished agents of espionage, had to be perfect now above all else.

God…I can't be late…please let me reach him in time…

The doors to the assembly room slid open too slowly for her advanced velocity, so she slid to a halt, limbs trembling and heart pounding.

If I'm not in time…

She stepped into the room.

The same dull crimson light pervaded an otherwise dim interior, and the scene that greeted her eyes was one of absolute stillness. No one was moving. Everyone was frozen, as if the end of the world had come and the master that pulled the strings of humanity had left his post.

What she was seeing…

It has to be…

Only one word could describe it. The same one that had been screaming from the recesses of her mind since that single strike of lightning during what would otherwise have been a rainstorm.

_Impossible._

The members of the taskforce were all arranged around two figures on the floor. One was crouching, a familiar pose to Wedy. But it was all wrong. The person crouching was holding another one in his arms.

Spindly limbs spread-eagled across the floor…

A head full of wild, black hair hanging limply back, motionless…

An entity that had never before been still, from the pondering shift of his bare toes to the long, slender fingers that were always reaching for another sweet, or even to the large, unearthly eyes that constantly swept across reality, baring the world of its dark secrets and blood-stained truths…this man had been reduced to a motionless body.

But he was so much more than just a man…

He was the world's silent champion, the hero that was supposed to preserve the true ideal of justice against a monster that had reared its head in such a brutal, intense manner with the slaughter of hundreds.

He had sworn to defeat Kira, to stop this monster.

He couldn't be dead…

But this stillness, this indispensable shadow that had fallen could only be that of death.

_This has to be a dream._

If she had been awake, she would have felt something. The death of this man would have meant the death of something else inside of her_…_but she felt nothing.

Am I the one who's dead?

Sounds. Movement. Panic. It was like a glass falling to the floor and shattering. The noise was piercing, and the pieces flew everywhere in undisclosed chaos.

Life was moving without her. Fast.

_They understood._

She smelled fear. The fear of death. The fear that death would strike again.

_Cowards. Fools._

_He_ had instilled this panic. While the others had been worrying for themselves, he had been trying to create more fear inside of them. The gesture wasn't human, and in a time like this, it only made him seem more like the man she had always believed him to be.

"Don't concern yourselves," she said in a cold empty voice that cut clearly across the haze of fear and confusion. "It's over. You're safe."

All eyes were on her, calculating and wide. They were waiting to see how she would react, how her response to this incident would unveil who she truly was.

_The enemy is still at large._

"If this had been the creature's original intent, we would all have been dead already. The fact that only L and Watari have been taken shows that the shinigami was making sure to eliminate the most obvious threats. I have a feeling it was an act of desperation, and one that bore a serious cost. You can look for it, but I'm almost completely sure you'll find nothing of use."

An excuse. They would all go.

One by one, they rushed past her. She stood in silence, a pillar against fear and death, seemingly unchanged by what had happened.

"I'll take him," she said calmly, approaching the man who had been entrusted with the body. "You should go."

Gratefully, yet reluctantly, the largest member of the task force gently transferred his load to her waiting arms. She was almost staggered by the weight of it.

_Death truly is a burden. He was always so slender…he could never weigh this much in life._

She looked down at the body…down at him. He looked so unusually peaceful, as if he had fallen asleep. Carefully, she shifted her left arm to support his head, tracing his face with her eyes. It had been ages since she had been this close to him. He seemed unchanged, as if Time hadn't even bothered to brush his face with His burning glance. Now set in its final rest, L's face seemed as young and pure in its separation from the rest of the world as it had been when she had first met him as a child.

So many years ago…

_He was a quiet one. The boy with the half-crazed mess of untamable, raven-black hair and huge, smoky black eyes. While the others talked among themselves and formed friendships and rivalries, he was content to stay crouched in his little corner of the world, marking his otherwise simple lifestyle at Wammy's House for Gifted Youngsters with a laptop and a seemingly endless supply of fruits and assorted sweets that were perpetually at his side like a two-year-old's security blanket. The other children had basically ignored him. They were complacent with his existence…_

_Until he became a threat in the Competition. _

_He was smarter than everyone at the House put together, and even worse, he was Watari's favorite. Every child at Wammy's adored the old man, and he practically doted on this boy, this **L.**_

_For that, Wedy had hated the newcomer just as much as her colleagues at first. She had never had parents; Watari was **her** father-figure, and this strange, haunting child was stealing him from her. She felt more alone than ever now; she had received a taste of what having parents would be like, and it was being slowly pulled from her grasp. She watched L keenly, trying to find some imperfection in him so she could prove to Watari that his new favorite was no better than a lowly pickpocket when it came to flaws and wits. To her fury, she found nothing, but her investigation on the boy revealed something else far more important._

_He was just as alone as she was. _

_She threw down her pride and jealousy the moment she realized this. The boy was alone, and he wasn't strong like she was. His spindly little form couldn't take the beating the others had been conspiring to give him. He needed an ally, a defender…_

_A friend._

"_Are you okay?"_

_She stood over the boy, turning her back on the other children, who were beginning to retreat with various bruises, a few bite marks, and battered pride from her scathing reproach and insults. _

_The strange child swiftly averted his eyes; it was an action she knew all too well. He was trying not to cry. _

_Hesitantly, she knelt and began to pick up the scattered textbooks and sweets that had toppled so easily from their precarious tower when those antagonists had deliberately bumped into him and thrown him to the floor. _

"_I don't understand…" He brushed the trickle of blood from his nose with the back of his hand. "I am not their enemy, yet their aggression was blatant and direct. Why?" He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and the startlingly human palette of confusion and pain that bled through them was as alien as the bright, crimson blood that stained his pale skin. In her mind's eye, he became an angel. A creature of purity so different and set apart from the world that she never wanted to see such base, human feelings in its eyes again._

_**So resilient…but so fragile…**_

_That was the moment she resolved to protect him._

_No matter what._

_She reached out with her slim, eleven-year-old arm and ruffled his hair._

"_Don't worry about it." She winked at him and grinned at his growing confusion._

"_I won't let it happen again."_

The red computer screens were pulsing gently as Wedy bit her lip in silent anguish. A thin trickle of blood slid down over her crimson lipstick as her heart cringed against feelings that reminded her this was definitely no dream.

L was dead.

_Never again…_

What had gone through his mind as the pain exploded in his chest? Had he immediately suspected Light Yagami? His…friend?

The pain she had seen in his eyes all those years ago…it must have been nothing compared to what would have been seen as he lay dying on the floor.

_I was too late._

The knowledge that he had been beaten…for death was certainly the best way of stopping his fight against Kira…what sort of blow had that been? In hindsight of these two other blows put against him, the physical pain in his chest must have seemed so small…

_The pain._

How could it have been fair for such a man to die like that?

_It wasn't. It isn't. It shouldn't have happened!_

The truth hit her hard, and her vision blurred as tears slid down her cheeks, staining her face with makeup and his white shirt with wetness.

_It only happened because I failed you…_

That promise she had made so many years ago had been broken.

Merrie Kenwood gritted her teeth against the pain and tears that threatened to overflow from her heart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…L…Watari…"


	2. Buried Side by Side

**Okay, another experimental step on this story, but I'm still incredibly shaky about it. PLEASE review. Again, I own nothing; Tsgumi Ohba is the genuis behind Death Note. This chapter is based off a scene in "Death Note Re-Light" (sort of an extended cut), in which L's private funeral is revealed. I suggest you watch the scene on youtube, but that's another story for another day.**

The setting sun bathed the scene in a river of blood.

_Blood. Blood is for the living and the dying. _

_Those that lie here have passed both those gates long ago._

The graveyard was filled with small, humble stones each quietly holding their own little lot. None were particularly elaborate; the most decorative objects in the plot were the stone angels that so solemnly guarded it.

_Stay out, _they seemed to warn. _Do not linger among the dead; you will join them._

_Do not linger._

Wedy stood, head bowed despite the constrictive collar of the mourning suit she had donned. Beside her stood the small task force, each following in her suite, though perhaps more due to the heavy burden of hopelessness than the one of guilt she so willingly carried.

"Ryuzaki…" Chief Yagami spoke in a gentler tone than she was accustomed to hearing him use. It was husky with pain, she realized. How…touching. The hardened police officer had developed an attachment to the eccentric, practically inhuman detective.

Even though that detective had held his beloved son under suspicion.

_If you stay to yearn after them for too long, you'll forget the joys of living. Death will seem so pleasant that it can't come soon enough._

_You can only hope to be buried beside them…_

Her gaze wandered from the simple, cross-shaped stone to the slightly taller one beside it.

"We have gathered here for your private funeral," the chief continued, but his voice faded away as Wedy stood stiff, her eyes locked on the two stones that stood so intentionally close to each other, just as their occupants had in life.

_Watari._

"_Watari!"_

_She almost tripped in her haste to reach the two receding figures. Her breath came quickly, laced with anger and physical strain. _

_**How could they leave me? Without even trying to say goodbye…?**_

_Gasping, the girl slid to a stop in front of L and Watari, who had turned when they heard her shrill cry. _

"_W," Watari scolded her in his typical stern yet gentle manner. "You should know by now that it is strictly forbidden to leave the grounds of Wammy's. Moreover, as one of the older and more experienced students here, you ought to know why."_

_Cheeks burning, she stared resolutely at the ground. _

"_It is dangerous," Watari continued, despite the blatant rebellion in her posture. "Because on your own, your identity is at risk of being revealed. How many times do I have to remind you, child?" He walked over, laid his hands on her shoulders, and knelt so he was looking up at her. There had once been a time when such a position would have left him eye-level with her, but she was fourteen, and much taller than she had been. _

"_Your identity," Watari said in his soft, clipped voice. "Is much more than just your life. It is your future, your definition, and your strength. You cannot so brashly leave it open to compromise. It would be a betrayal of not only yourself, but of any who consider your important or dear to them. Like me, for example."_

_He had broken down her defenses so easily. She looked up, hating herself internally for allowed the hot tears to swim in her eyes. _

"_You're not just taking him away," she retorted. "You're __**leaving**__ with him!"_

_Watari nodded gravely. _

"_I must," he explained. "His life will never be the same, and it will certainly never be safe. He is stepping into a new world, and I'm sorry my dear, but I need to be by his side to keep him on his feet. You know how curious his sense of balance is."_

_Stubbornly, she bit back the smile that had threatened to invade her mood at the thought of L's flimsy frame and odd way of walking with his hands constantly in his pockets. _

"_Don't worry, Wedy." L, who had been standing silently and observing the whole scene, walked over and awkwardly took her hand. He was thirteen, skinny, and clumsy, but somehow maintained the aura of a sanctuary around himself. When he touched her, no matter how obviously unnatural the action was to him, she felt safe as well. He fixed her seriously with his large black eyes, piercing orbs that saw through everything._

"_Don't worry," he repeated. "Watari is merely a precaution, and I'm not as fragile as he'd like to think I am." He shot a mildly irritated glance at the elderly man, who simply smiled in a dismissive manner. "You have my word that he shall be returned to you, and in good condition." _

_Despite the circumstances of the moment, she couldn't hold back the smile that his words prompted. Despite the fact that she had been the one watching his back for the past couple of years, L had been the one who gravely shouldered the title of "Guardian" when it came to their relationship. Then again, he believed he was responsible for the safety of every innocent human on the planet, and perfectly capable of carrying out the task of keeping their world one of Justice. Pretty heady stuff for a thirteen-year-old, but L was a "heady" being. W was the muscle. And now, she realized, she was obsolete. Watari was taking her job. Was that really the reason she was bitter? How…childish. _

_Jealousy. _

_And towards her own father-figure and teacher._

_Her lip curled in derision._

_She truly loathed herself at times. _

_But the fact remained. She was an old tool, no longer required and thus without purpose. She was being left behind to rust._

_**No.**_

_She was the best agent of espionage in the world, even at her young age. Granted, she would be pitting her skills against the world's future best detective…_

_**I love a challenge.**_

_Swallowing her motive-laden, feral smile, she pushed her platinum blond hair away from her face and nodded earnestly at L._

"_I know, L. I never doubted you. I guess…" The humiliation she allowed into her tone was probably the perfect touch. "I guess I'll just miss you…both of you. You're all that I have, after all."_

_L shuffled his bare toes._

"_I see," he mumbled, and she silently cheered herself. Excellent. His focus had been thrown into uncomfortable confusion. Lately, he hadn't known how to deal with her "female notions and emotions". She had enjoyed making him uncomfortable. She had spent hours practicing different ways to do so, which was why it was now so ridiculously simple to finish off any suspicions he had concerning her ulterior motives for such a confession. _

_With a dry sob, she threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his slender body. _

"_Just be safe," she gasped, and was rewarded with the immediate stiffening of his form. She turned her devilish giggle into heartfelt tears as Watari gently pulled her away. She gave him a hug too, perhaps a more earnest one, for she truly adored the old man, and finally allowed him to lead her behind the fence. _

"_You will hear of us again, Merrie," he soothed her, brushing her tear-sodden hair away from her cheeks. She froze, almost thrown from her flawless act. He hadn't called her by her true name since the day he had found her. This truly was goodbye, in his mind. Rubbing her eyes, she nodded, and then watched from beneath the crook of her arm as Watari returned to L's side and led him away, over the hill and into the horizon of the vast world of crime and death._

_**A thief must hold no pride. You must be crazy if you think I'm gonna let you out of my sight in a world like that!**_

_Drying her eyes with a grin, she stood and headed back to the campus, the perfect plan already churning in her mind. Blueprints to the school, security lay-outs…these she had all broken into and committed to memory long ago. Watari knew, she was sure…but she still wanted to feel like she could leave any time she wanted to. Now, with Watari gone, it was finally time for her to say her goodbyes to the institution that had taken her in as a tiny orphan. The plan was drawn. All that remained were simple preparations. _

_**After all, I made a promise.**_

_A day and a half later found her holing up in allegedly the most secure building under the administration of the Wammy program. Oh yes, it certainly WAS cushy…but she had enjoyed then added challenge of breaking in and finding a secure area to live in. She spent one whole day hooking her battered laptop up and tapping it into the feed of every camera on the property. Wherever L or Watari were, she would see. If trouble came up, she was a hop skip and a jump away from an easy rescue. Satisfied, Merrie smirked and allowed herself to relax briefly. _

"_Wedy, you should know that spying on people is rude."_

_She jumped slightly, internally kicked herself for taking her eyes off the screen for so long, and then grinned, turning to face L. _

"_Like you're one to talk. I know your style of solving crime. You're a friggin' peeping Tom, of the worst sort. Maybe you're starting to rub off on me." She shrugged, stood, and strode with catlike grace to where he stood, barefoot and clad in the usual white shirt and too-large jeans. She lightly punched him in the shoulder._

"_So, what are you doing to do? Arrest me?"_

"_Hmm…" L tilted his head back and musingly pressed his thumbnail against his teeth. "Well, I could do that. Or, for old times' sake, I could allow you a five second running start. Knowing you, that's two seconds too long."_

_She dipped her head in modest appreciation of his compliment._

"_Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere."_

"_Oh?" He was surprised; she had caught him off-guard._

"_Yes," she said stubbornly. "I promised I'd protect you, that I'd never leave your side. In reality, __**I**__ should be here with you and Watari should be back at Wammy's, where he belongs. I mean, I've grown too! Watari ought to put more trust in my abilities."_

"_Exactly," Watari's voice rang from the doorway, and both teenagers turned to face him. The old man stepped into the light, a serene smile on his mustached face. _

"_I never doubted your abilities, W," he addressed her. "But I had to see how far some honest motivation would press them. You tend to be lazy, and I wanted to see how well you could actually do. This is the first time I've seen you give anything your all, and you passed your test. You also, L, for managing to detect her." Both students bowed their heads slightly to their teacher and father, a warm glow of pride lighting up their eyes. _

"_L," Watari continued. "You are the Chosen Successor. You know your duties well. W, you have declared yours, but I still do not intend to leave. I have taken it upon myself to personally be here for both of you. I could not leave either of your sides, W, anymore than you could leave L's. Am I understood?"_

_Smiling, she nodded at him enthusiastically. _

"_Excellent," Watari said. "L, I'm going to get us all some ice cream."_

_And with that he left, remaining ever the enigma-brewed mixture of unbeatable sage and loving father. Merrie turned to L. _

"_Looks like you're still stuck with me," she said with a shrug. "But I'm pretty sure you knew you would be. After all…" She began to walk towards the door. "I made a promise."_

"…Ryuzaki."

A younger, more clear voice cut through her memories. _He_ was speaking.

_That's not his name…_

She yearned to scream that at the man who had said it, to take him by his collar and demand to know who he truly was. To beat the truth out of him…and if she found what she thought was there, to kill him in the most painful way possible.

_Kira._

She clenched her fists until her red, manicured nails bit into her flesh, dropping the blood of the living onto the sacred ground of the dead.

_You will pay for what you have taken from the world…and from me…_

However, her anger receded as she looked once again at the graves. Watari's grave stood unbendingly by L's, as steadfast and noble in its intent of protection and service as Watari had always been. Even as a teacher. He had existed to serve and protect L, his true prodigy.

_He knew he would be by L's side until the day he died…but that was never a condition meant both ways._

Her head bowed further under the unbearable weight of guilt as a tear slid down her cheek.

_It was __**my**__ duty to make sure he would never have to join you. My duty…and I failed._

Wistfully, she looked at the empty lot beside the two new graves.

_The worst part? I wasn't granted the path to join you. I am alone…I stand by nobody's side, and no one will stand by me. _

_You were all I had. _

_"Don't worry, Wedy."_

She could almost hear him saying that. As long as she could remember, L had been the only one to ever call her by her preferred nickname. 

Dry-eyed, she looked up towards the horizon, trying to picture two figures turning back to look at her as they had when she had so long ago cried their names. One, a dignified elderly man with a gentle, caring smile on his face and the other a scrawny, awkward young man with an uncontrollable head of black hair and otherworldly eyes that saw who she truly was and what her heart yearned for. She tried to picture them before everything had changed, before the weight of Justice had bent L's back like an old man and etched circles beneath his extraordinary eyes, and before Watari had taken to carrying a large amount of sweets around to ease the constant bitterness the dark side of humanity brought to the detective's tongue.

_I can almost see them._

Turning back for her when she called them, waiting for her to catch up with them and offer a final goodbye...

"Wedy?"

The images were whisked away with the wind as she turned to face _him._

Light Yagami.

What an epitome of the friend in mourning he was! Brown eyes downcast, head bowed slightly in pain, shoulders bent...

_You're the best liar I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Better even than L._

"Yes?"

_Don't call me that. Don't call me what **he** called me. You aren't worthy..._

"I was wondering...if I could have a minute alone?" He looked up to meet her eyes then. His act was certainly flawless, but if L had never trusted her, there was no way she ever would.

"Of course," she replied with a shrug. "And Light?"

"Yes?" The young man was looking at her intently. She stared into those masked eyes, keen and observing beneath the pained exterior.

A moment of silence reigned as their eyes locked.

_You haven't fooled me. Bastard. When I leave, you'll defile this holy ground, more sacred to me than anything else. You will crow of your alleged victory to the dead, remaining unheard in your desecration. But I'm not dead yet. I will protect him until I die. I **will**. You'll never be safe from me until you kill me...Kira. I hope you know that. And when you do, you won't have won. I'll do my part. You will be caught, and you will be executed. When that day comes, writhe and scream in the agony of a soul that long since lost its humanity, knowing there's only one place you can truly go: no where._

"I'm truly sorry for your loss."

She turned and left.

The sun was barely peeping over the barren horizon. Not a sign of them to be found. She did not look back at the graveyard, but as she passed one of the angels, she glanced up at its solemn stone face.

_I will linger among the dead, despite the consequences.  
><em>

_Just let us be buried side by side.  
><em>

**Again, PLEASEEE review! I need opinions on this! Read, review, and enjoy **


	3. Bittersweet: Irony and Reminiscence

** Hmm...this chapter sort of wrote itself. I was originally going to end the series here, but I guess that's not happening. PLEASE tell me what you think. I need feedback! Tell me your likes, dislikes, what you might like to see...on this site, to a degree, I write to please ^.~ sooo yeah! I own nothing ^_^**

Footsteps.  
><em>Sometimes you notice your own more than anyone else's.<em>  
>Beats passing between each breath, each pump of her heart, echoing through the familiar hallway.<br>_My heart...  
><em> Why was it still beating?  
>Wedy paused at the door. This hallway had always been deserted. The occupant whose room she was visiting had preferred privacy.<br>Her fingers brushed the handle hesitantly. This emptiness went deeper than the requested solitude she had known it to support.  
><em> Is it always hard to enter a dead person's room?<em>  
>Reluctantly, she turned the knob and pushed the door open, and almost immediately knew why she hadn't wanted to come here; the memories hit her with the rush of cold, sweet-scented air.<br>_ L._  
>The last time she had been here, it had been to bring him his usual tray of sweets. His personal quarters weren't a place she visited often, even when he wasn't busy.<br>But this time, Watari had been occupied with the task force.  
>This time, she had been on her own personal mission.<p>

_"L?"  
>As per usual, she rapped politely on the wooden door. Courtesy wasn't really a vital precedent in her life, but when it came to disrupting the flow of silence and intense thought that always hung like a thick fog in the air of the room housing the greatest detective in the world, even Wedy made an exception.<br>"Come in."  
>The detached, automated quality of his tone hit her like a breaker of reality. He was already <em>_working on the case, already analyzing it piece by morbid, ghastly piece. This was really happening.  
><em>We shouldn't be here._  
><em>__**He** shouldn't be here._  
>Turning the knob and pushing the door open, she took a deep breath of the chocolate and strawberry-scented air as her thoughts rushed from her mind to her heart, causing her head to pound and her chest to ache as it cringed away from every possibility and fear she had been concocting.<br>Fear was alien to her.  
>It was simply an emotion she had never before been required to process.<br>But this case?  
>It terrified her.<br>So many dead with so little effort. We still don't know even the method of murder...but our own identities have become weapons to be used against us. The string of life connecting our presents to our pasts can be wound around our necks at even the slightest display of weakness from what our lives used to be. Loved ones, memories, pain...any of these can kill us now.  
>L turned to face her, his gray eyes flickering in interest from their shadowy depths.<br>"Ah! Thank you, Wedy."  
>With long, spindly fingers he delicately plucked a strawberry from its throne atop a shortcake. Holding it as carefully as he would a crystal drinking glass between two fingers, he peered at Wedy thoughtfully.<br>"Since you're conveniently present at this point, I guess I'll cover our basic protocol and preview the schedule with you yet again."  
>Her throat tightened. The schedule. The plan. The plan B. All of these were obviously tied to the case.<br>If there was ever a time to talk to him about this...  
>"Okay," she managed.<br>I need time to formulate my words...I can't let myself be seen as scared or weak...  
>L began to speak, but instead of looking at her, he focused his entire, undying attention to the strawberry between his fingers. Casually, he dipped it in a bowl of ice cream, swirling the tip around in the creamy whiteness as he spoke.<br>__"You'll arrive with us, but before Watari and I meet the task force...which I am sure will be inevitable...you'll have to make yourself scarce, but be sure to stick around. I know that's your specialty. Keep an eye on the security; I am sure that with your professional knowledge of security systems, ours will be impenetrable. Keep in touch with Watari, and myself on occasion. I'll call you when the time to reveal yourself has arrived."  
>Reveal myself...<br>Her hands tightened into tense balls of knuckles and skin, pressed rigidly against her sides.  
>"L...did you imply that you would actually be setting up a face-to-face meeting with the police task force? Or am I getting old and decrepit?" She tried to throw in a lighter note of humor, but L ignored it.<br>"Yes," he murmured, pressing his free thumb against his teeth. "This will be the first case in which I throw everything down on the line. Trust is something vital, but rare in such an unusual and possibly supernatural situation. I can't have the officers thinking I'm Kira, now, can I?"  
><em>_**Kira.**__  
>Unable to restrain herself any further, she slammed her trembling fist down on the dessert cart, disturbing the ice cream, cake, and fruits from their aesthetically arranged positions and rattling the china.<br>"You're worried about that? Something as insignificant as the amount of trust they place in you? What if one of THEM is Kira? A name and a face...that's your theory. That's all it takes for Kira to kill. He murdered an entire troupe of FBI agents...of course he wouldn't hesitate to kill you, his greatest threat! Seriously...you're supposed to be smarter than this!"  
>Pausing in mid-rant, she realized that she now had his full attention. His eyes, if possible, were wider than ever as he searched for something on her face or in her eyes to explain her uncharacteristic outburst.<br>"Wedy?"  
>Ashamed and embarrassed, she wrapped her fingers around the push-bar of the cart and squeezed it until her knuckles were white, refusing to meet his eyes, trying desperately to hide from his perceptive gaze.<br>"I'm...I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just that..."  
>Everything within her rebelled against what she was going to say next...but perhaps pure <em>_honesty was what was needed to sway him.  
>Looking up to evenly meet his eyes, she said simply, "I'm afraid."<em>

Brought back to the present by the low hum of a computer, Wedy shook herself. She had a mission today as well; it was not by choice she had come to this den filled with memories and the stagnant smell of sweets.

_I'm afraid._

Yes, she really had been. Originally, whilst planning that scene out in her head, Wedy had devised to use this exact same phrase as leverage to gain L's concern and partiality. It had worked, too, but she had never expected to tell the truth when she dropped that particular bombshell.

_Are you afraid now?_ she questioned herself; the answer was an immediate no. She hadn't felt anything in days, and even if she had, fear was something obsolete to her now. L was dead. If Kira had discovered _his_ real name, then hers would be a cakewalk to unwravel.

_I'm going to die. _

That much was inevitable; she was completely unbothered by it. At one point in the past seventy-two hours, this blatant apathy had bothered her so much that she attempted repeating the phrase over and over again while she lay in bed. Her efforts were fruitless; no matter how many times she repeated herself or how many scenarios she conjured up to imagine how painful dying could be, she was simply not afraid.

_I __**want**__ to be! _she protested silently. _Every human fears death. What does that make me, then?_

Her lip curled slightly as she entered the passcode to the computer. _Irony._ Originally, she had been severely skeptical when L entrusted her with the code.

_"Irony? That's such a weak password! Have you learned __**nothing**__ from me? Honestly, I consider this more of an insult then an honor."_

But L had explained his choice. If he could define Justice with one word, he would have chosen "irony".

_"In Justice, one can take nothing at face value," he stated. " 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair.' Shakespeare spoke wisely, but it goes even beyond that; one learns from a pursuit of Justice that nobody can be trusted. Who does that leave then? We automatically trust ourselves, and in doing so, become too confidant. Mistakes are made, conclusions leapt to without a proper __amount of evidence. That won't do. Justice teaches us we cannot trust __**ourselves.**__**That**__ is ironic, Wedy. Hence, the password."_

Of course, it was only after this little speech that had bothered to tell her the very word was coded; it was a code they had created, a series of numbers only she held the key to. Satisfied, she had taken this word…and the heavy responsibility that lay behind it. A dark, unthinkable preparation.

_"If ever I am in severe danger, or in the event of my death, if Watari is unable to communicate the circumstances to Wammy's house, this key will activate an automated message. 'L is dead.' Roger will know what to do."_

Numbly, Wedy tapped in the code. 32194146. Irony.

_Irony. It's ironic that I can't feel fear when I want to, but when I hated the weakness it brought me, I felt it all the time…"_

Her mind was involuntarily drawn back to where he previous memory had left off.

_The spoon clattered to the floor as L sat back and stared at her, work and planning all but forgotten. His shock was understandable and expected; she had never confessed any emotion to him, least of all fear. There had been evidence of others, but the pure humanity in her tone and eyes must have really floored him. _

_ "Afraid?" he repeated, trying to wrap his mind around the unfamiliar word and the idea it represented. "You?"_

_ Wedy dropped her head, unable to meet his eyes in her shame._

_ "Yes."_

_ Her response was voiced in at a level barely above a whisper, and she realized that her hands were trembling. Angrily, she clasped them together, feeling the cold clamminess of skin-on-skin._

_ She couldn't look up; she was too humiliated. Besides, she knew what she would find; L would be blinking his large eyes, nibbling his thumbnail, and frantically searching for a sweet to divert his thoughts. He had no idea how to deal with this type of situation; it was cruel of her to force it on him in hopes of manipulating his priorities. _

_**I'm such a disgrace. This is just another job; I shouldn't be letting it get to me. I need to—**_

___Her thoughts were cut off abruptly as her vision wobbled erratically; L was ruffling her hair._

_ "H-hey!" Automatically, she reached up to slap his hand aside, but he anticipated her and trapped her expertly, confining her hand in his spidery fingers and meeting her eyes resolutely. Suddenly, she understood; he didn't need to explain. She had always ruffled his hair when they were children; not only was it irresistible to touch, but it signified her desire to reassure him. To see him pulling this memento from the past uncharacteristically placed him in the role of guardian and comforter. Where a normal guy would probably have hugged the girl in distress, L decided to mess up her hair instead._

_ She couldn't help but giggle. He was so awkward._

_**Even so…**_

_ Exasperated and confused by her unpredictable reaction, L tilted his head, trying to understand her laughter._

_**He knew enough to take my hand, and his is so warm. I understand what he's trying to say: worrying about him will do me no good. He **__**has**__**to do this, and he wants me to be able to accept that with peace.**_

_ She squeezed his hand with a smile._

_ "Thank you," she said simply. Relieved, he nodded._

_ "Don't worry, Wedy." Such a familiar phrase. Suddenly, an urge spread up inside her that could not be revoked nor ignored._

_ "I won't, but only if you grant me a request," she said firmly._

_ "What is it?" She had already sprung one card on him; he was wary now._

_ "May I…hug you?"_

_ It was a silly question, in hindsight. She had hugged him all the time when they were children, but that had been years ago. Besides, it had never been reciprocated. He could tell that was what she wanted; she saw him struggle with the alien idea of physical closeness for a second before finally nodding. _

_ "Very well. First, let me…ready myself."_

_ Wedy laughed out loud as he thought for a second, and finally settled into a semi-fighting stance, attempting to lower his center of gravity and prepare himself for whatever might happen._

_ "You're ridiculous," she sniffed, and then walked up to him and threw her arms around him. It was a deliberate attempt to throw him off balance, but to her surprise, he stayed planted firmly on the ground as his slender arms awkwardly raised to return her embrace. _

_ He smelled of sweets and soap, and in the years that had passed since she had last attempted physical contact with him, he had grown taller than her. She also realized that, despite his scrawny appearance, his muscles were defined and active. The hug had forced him out of his traditional slouch; he was __**very**__ tall. Her chin could barely rest on his shoulder. At first, he was stiff; then, the idea and feel of this generally unthinkable action set in, and he relaxed as a small child would before sleep, letting out a light sigh against her neck. She could feel his heartbeat, steady and more beautiful than the most artfully composed concerto. _

_**I **__**will**__** protect you.**_

_ Her resolve was strengthened by this intimacy; she tightened her grip and turned her face into his neck, creating a stronghold between his shoulder and her chin. She didn't want to ever let him go; if this was what would keep him safe, she didn't mind being here forever. Finally, however, she eased her grip, and he let her go, cheeks even a little flushed._

_ Grinning to ease his discomfort, she reached out and ruffled his hair._

_ "Thanks," she said with a wink. "Sometimes all a girl needs is a good hug, for future reference. Messing her hair up is a bad idea, though I appreciate the gesture." Before he could respond, she offered him a mocking salute. _

_ "See-ya! I'm off to get things ready!"_

_ She had left that day, filled with certainty that this job would be a success like any other, and that life would return to the way it always was._

Wedy closed the door behind her, smirking bitterly.

_Now __**that**__ is ironic._

Still, she had completed her last duty to L. She could no longer protect him, and the certainty of death hovering over her head made it impossible to assign herself to whoever his successor might be. No, it was finished. She could die in peace now.

_Are you afraid?_

Placing her finger to her jugular, she felt the pulsing of her heart, and remembered the way his had sounded in that one moment. She wanted to see him again…

_No._

She smiled, in defiance of Kira, in anticipation of an end to this life.

_I'm ready._


	4. Sunset Finale

**As much as I love Death Note, I'm severely tempted to draw this particular fic out. I've actually grown quite attached to Wedy, but all good things must come to an end. This is the final chapter…enjoy! ^_^ Again, I own no part of this story. Please review, dears!**

She always thought best when she was in motion.

Shifting her hands, protected from the abrasive vibrations of the handles by fingerless gloves, Wedy grinned as a familiar adrenaline rush flowed through her crouched body, filling her with even more life than she was accustomed to feeling. It was the best kind of day for bikers…the sun was high in the cloudless, early-spring blue sky and generously warmed the air; the wind whipping through her casual clothes and unbound, golden-blond hair didn't chill her to the bone. It only added to her excitement. Again, she thought best in motion…and to Wedy, the best way to think was to not think at all. All she was…her past, present, and limited future…were reduced into flowing energy and speed, matching her heartbeat in one last breath-taking dance.

No, she wasn't driving safely at all. She had even abandoned safety-wear. No leather jacket to restrict her arms, no helmet to stifle her rush…only a breezy shirt, leather pants, and a pair of her favorite sunglasses. What did it matter if her health was at risk? She wanted to die driving, preferably leading the cops on a merry chase one last time. Wedy took a deep breath, loving the almost choked sensation as the roaring wind filled her lungs with entirely too much air.

_Couldn't ask for a better day to die._

Yes, this was the day. She had never been more sure of anything…probably because she had gotten so fed up with waiting that she had taken the initiative herself and invited death upon her. More than a month had passed since the deaths of her dearest friends and colleagues, L and Watari. The first few days after the funeral had been monochrome, a dreary waiting game desiring only the end. When Kira hadn't killed her then, she had taken measures to make life as uncomfortable for him…as uncomfortable for _Light_…as she could. She had taunted him, poking at the sleeping dragon with a sewing pin that he might deliver his fiery wrath and finish the damned business.

But he was far too careful for that. Days, weeks, and finally a month had passed…a month full of mornings in which she would wake to find her heart still beating and grind her teeth, cursing this criminal who played god for not ending her now-meaningless existence. But this morning had been different. This time, she had awoken rejoicing the fact that her heart was still beating. In the night, she had decided something: no pathetic, self-righteous, murdering bastard was going to dictate when or how her life would end…and if he did, she was going to be the one to convince him to do so.

An uncontrollable smile split Wedy's face through the rippling sensation the wind caused. It had been a sweet victory, her approach of Light Yagami. She had waited carefully until he was alone—the task force wouldn't believe her accusations, and she despised wasting anyone's time—and had entered the room, closing and locking it behind her.

_"Wedy?" Light's cool, brown eyes took on a hint of curiosity at her odd, furtive behavior. _

_ "Hello, Light," she said sweetly, clasping her hands and walking over to him. "Lovely day, isn't it? I hope the morning has treated you well so far, dearie."_

_ Light's eyes narrowed. "Enough with the cloak and daggers," he replied curtly. "You're nothing if barely civil to me, and it would be a lie to say I felt anything friendly towards you. What do you want? Can I help you in any way?"_

_ She grinned her trademark smile, a rather feral one that had always set anyone at unease, even L. Yagami was certainly no exception; she crowed in inner delight at the squirm her smirk had incited. _

_ "Yes, you can," she said, continuing in her falsely sweet tone, just to piss him off a bit more. He let out a short, exasperated sigh._

_ "Then cut to the chase," he said. "I've taken on the responsibilities of L, and you of all people should know that's no small task. I'll ask again: what can I do for you?"_

_ She twirled her hair expertly with a crimson, manicured nail. "Oh, I know. Poor thing, it must be so stressful. But I'm sure you can manage; you've had plenty of practice, seeing as you're playing god on the side. But I don't know, Light…taking on L's duties as well as those of Kira? It might be too much strain on you. I'd take up counseling, if I were you…**Kira**."_

_ As expected, her challenge provoked no visible reaction from him, nor did he lack in an inappropriate lack of action. He was too skilled an actor, and had come too far, to offer her tangible proof for what she already knew._

_ "Are you honestly still considering the possibility that I'm Kira? If that's what you came here for, get out. I can only assume you came to me in private because you **know** that the other members of the task force would never believe you. They all trusted L, and he trusted me…we worked out the suspicion of my being Kira a long time ago, so all you're accomplishing is an insult to my integrity."_

_ "I wonder," she quipped. "Why the Shinigami spared you, Light Yagami. You, who would pose just as great a threat to Kira as L and Watari did…it's so delightfully convenient that you alone survived, the only one intellectually capable of carrying on L's title and investigation."_

_ Fury leapt into Light's eyes, but behind the façade of injured pride and morality, Wedy clearly saw the cold, calculating rage of a killer caught in his element by a would-be victim. What a blow to his pride she had struck!_

_ "Convenient? You're accusing me of murdering my best friend! Ryuzaki may have suspected me of being Kira, but I related to him as an intellectual, and cherished him as a comrade. How **dare** you imply that I was the one behind not only his murder, but the murder of thousands? Who do you think you are? You're a thief, criminal scum who rode on the back of L's reputation and stayed out of the shadow of the law, that's all! You know **nothing**."_

_ She saw red. He had taken her for a turn, assuming the role of L's closest friend and taking the unimaginable heartache and depth that came with it. She lost her sense of reason and exploded. _

_ "Your friend? **Bastard!** He never trusted you, not once! Could you really have been so caught up in your narcissism that you **believed** him when he said you were his only friend? **I** was his friend, his faithful companion and protector for **years**. You've taken my friend, my father, and my purpose from me…but I'll be **damned** if I let you steal my history from me. I know **everything**, you self-righteous swine. I know that you took the Death Note from the ashes of the Shinigami, I know you played the task force right into your little trap when they requested you to take L's place—manipulative little scumbag that you are—and I **know** that you're Kira. I heard you gloating over his grave; your arrogance gave birth to blind ignorance, because you thought that the world's best thief and infiltrator wasn't watching every move you made. And I hate you. I hope you rot in Hell, and that damnation takes you and reveals you to be the pathetic, bloody-handed criminal that you are. Damn you, Kira. Damn you to Hell!"_

_ This outburst made her feel more alive than she had in a month. In the face of death, she was a rebel, raising her eyes and meeting it in defiance. Breathless and flushed, she met the eyes of her enemy with passionate rebellion, daring him to kill her there and expose himself. She saw his resolve, and knew her fate had been sealed for sure. _

_ "Get out," he said simply. "I'm not going to sit and let you insult me any further. You're no longer a part of this investigation. Go, before I have you arrested and your criminal file revealed to the police."_

_ "I still haven't told you what I want from you," she said, as she stood to leave._

_ "Well say it already. I can't stand being near you."_

_ "I came to ask you to kill me already. You've been taking you sweet damn time about it, and I'm bloody tired of waiting for your whims and caution. Kill me and end it already, Kira."_

_ When he said nothing, she continued. "But you're too late now. Of course, now that I've had my say, you have to kill me. I've forced you into a corner you can't escape from…so **I** chose the date, time, and circumstances of my death. Not you, not God, not Fate, and not some wasted existence that calls itself a Shinigami. I defy you, Kira. I die on my own time."_

_ With that, she swept out, but out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw his eyes flash red with rage. Once again, a smile twisted her features. It was a good day to die. _

She was flying over open road, breaking every speed limit known to man. From her vantage point, Wedy could see the line where Heaven graced the earth. It was a steady horizon, and she wanted to drive past it and into the reality that lay beyond it. For a month now, she had been living a waking dream. She couldn't wake herself, no matter how hard she tried. Now, at last, her enemy was going to do her a favor by waking her up himself. She had left a note for Inspector Yagami…a final request for her burial. An unmarked gravestone in the police's small, private lot…right by the sides of the other two new ones.

For the past few weeks, life had been a dream. She had only felt truly awake when she slept, and that was only because her sleep had been shattered by nightmares, or memories that were warped into nightmares. If this mix-up was accurate, what did that make life? For her, it was death. Death would be new, a beginning of an end to monotony and purposelessness. Life was death, and death was life. And who would be christening her and sending her on her way? None other than her most bitter nemesis.

Here, journeying at brazen speeds towards the horizon that conjoined Heaven and Earth, she felt closer to L and Watari than she had in years. She closed her eyes briefly, drinking in this warmth and peace, akin to when Watari had held her as a child or L had awkwardly embraced her to settle her spirit.

What had L said the day he died? She had found him that morning, gazing out at the sheeting rain. She had called his name three times before he actually heard her…only in retrospect did his distracted mood make any sense. Turning abstractly to acknowledge her, he had apologized for his delayed response.

"_Forgive me, Wedy," he stated, tilting his head slightly to the side. "I've been a bit…distracted this morning. I couldn't hear you at first. They were too loud."_

"_They?" she queried, confused. "What do you mean? I only hear the rain."_

"_The bells," he replied simply. "Can't you hear them? They've been ringing all morning. What kind of event could herald a church bell in this weather? Only a funeral would be fitting…"_

The bells. At the time, his words had set a chill to her heart. But now, she could hear them herself…they weren't frightening at all. They were mesmerizing. Melancholy, musical…drawing her mind irresistably back into her color-laden past and away from this frozen world. Ironic…she had chosen the motorcycle because she had wanted to avoid the stereotypical reminiscence of a dying man before his end. But now, as the bells sang persistently, lording over the rush of the wind and the roar of her engine, she saw and remembered everything.

Her parents, barely present for a fraction of her fragile life, always glowing with love and pride as they sang her a lullaby and stroked her hair…

Watari, the figure of protection and comfort as he held her hand during their funeral…

L, small and pale, regarding her with huge dark eyes as Watari introduced them…

Watari's proud smile as she demonstrated her skills with her most earnest effort, and the pride she had felt swell inside her at that smile…

The bitter competition that led to a lifelong friendship…

Crimson blood on pale skin, a promise that shifted her future irrevocably…

L again, hugging her for the first time in years as her frigid heart melted in commemoration and resolve…

Watari, smiling and offering her hot chocolate on that last, fateful day…his loyalty to L's side…

L…Watari…

The adrenaline flowed out of her, and her heart slowed and calmed at the touch of their memories. The sun was setting, and tears warmed her eyes as she saw them standing in the horizon. Even through her tears, they were clearer than they ever could have been in the graveyard…closer, too. She could feel her pulse race again as she ran to greet them…could see them pause and turn as she called their names, caring smiles lighting their faces into the visages of angels.

Her heart burst with joy. No would-be god had stopped it. That would always be her solid, unspoken conviction.

For a moment, time stood still. It was the calm before the storm. She imagined herself standing in a blank, white room, facing L.

"_L?"_

"_Wedy." His voice, uncharacteristically warmed with cherished caring, sang to her like her parents' lullaby._

"_I've missed you."_

"_You will see us both, very soon."_

"_Does it…hurt?"_

"_Yes, but you won't remember it."_

"_Will we all be together again?"_

"_Forever and always, my dearest friend."_

_Peace washed over her, and she sighed. But one last thing had to be made clear._

"_Did I do well?" she asked, nervous. L smiled gently and shook his head as if to chide her._

"_We couldn't be more proud of you."_

"_That's enough, then."_

She got only one last glimpse of the orange, sinking sun before her chest exploded in pain and, with a screech of twisting metal and motion, everything went black.

"Wedy?"

L's voice. Lawliet's voice. Familiarity sang sharper than the most obnoxious alarm clock, and she felt spindly fingers take her hand.

"Come along, my dear." Watari. His voice was as rich and full of warmth as it ever had been.

"Come along, my dear," he repeated. "We've let you sleep long enough; it's time you woke up and came with us."

She opened her eyes to a world of eternal light.

**Wellll there you have it. I might have gone a bit into the realm of cliché with the glowing Heavenly realm, but I couldn't resist ;) REVIEW 3 I love you all. **


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